In modern computational mechanics, typically, but not exclusively using Finite Element techniques, solution parameters are tabulated for discrete points in the problem domain. A typical large dynamic analysis may have a complex 3D geometry modelled with a million, elements, with results tabulated over a large number of time steps, thus creating a large four dimensional (4D) data set.
Consider for example, the problem of visualising a fan blade containment analysis of a large fan gas turbine engine. From an enormous 4D data set, a stress engineer must select appropriate cross-sections in order to visualise the most significant features as they change over the selected time frame. The choice of such cross-sections is usually subjective, based on experience and engineering intuition. However in models of very complex components which are subject to a range of loading conditions, it may be impossible to be certain that all the significant regions of the stress field have been inspected. Typically, the computer used to perform the calculations required for the analysis of the data set will be based around a high specification server, and only the graphical information needed for each individual view will be pushed down a network to an engineer's local machine.
The analysis of the data set is performed on a high specification multi processor machine, whereas the engineer performs post-processing on a local machine. The vast quantities of output analysed data supplied by the high specification server to the local machine are difficult to manage for the local machine so that in some cases it is necessary to view a subset of the output analysed data on the display of the local machine. In order to present a slightly different view of the model, or to present a section through the model, requires the high specification server to perform further processing in order for the new image to be shown on the display of the local machine. Thus it is difficult to show time-step or through model movies in real time. The processing may be performed on the remote high specification machine, but this is not an ideal situation, because interactive demands have a negative impact on the efficiency of the high specification machine for its other batch jobs.
However, there are three practical disadvantages to this technique:                the graphical computation can be time consuming wherein each cross-section through the model can take several minutes to load,        selection of views is by trial and error, and        interactive demands on the server interfere with its performance on the other large finite element analyses, which it is processing.        
For the purpose of exploring the solution domain, faster computer response is desirable. Although this would seem to indicate that a computer system with improved server capability would provide the solution, in practice the better the server, the more complex will be the Finite Element Analyses submitted to it. That is the number and complexity of the problems submitted to the machine for analysis will expand to fill the available capacity. The result is often no improvement at all.